I have a hard time understanding who exactly cooking anime appeal to and how cooking became a genre.
Here's a list of cooking anime:
1987, Mister Ajikko
1997, Chuuka Ichiban
2004, Yakitate!! Japan
2008, Seiyou Kottou Yougashiten: Antique
2009, Cookin' Idol Ai! Mai! Main!
2009, Yume-iro Pâtissière
2015, Shokugeki no Souma
2016, Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara
2017, Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara
2017, Isekai Shokudou
2017, Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan
2018, Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara - Tootsuki Ressha-hen
2018, Isekai Izakaya: Koto Aitheria no Izakaya Nobu
2019, Shokugeki no Souma: Shin no Sara
2019, Shin Chuuka Ichiban!
2020, Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara
2021, Shin Chuuka Ichiban!
2021, Isekai Shokudou 2
Shokugeki no Souma alone has already six seasons and they even resurrected the 1997 anime Cuuka Ichiban to get another two seasons in 2019 and 2021.
Demographics are things like age groups, professions, income brackets, country/state, region (urban/rural) and so on.
To give an example, are cooking anime for 20-30 year old single men living in an apartment in a big city or are they for 30-50 year old married women with children living in the countryside?
Who are these people that enjoy watching anime about cooking various dishes?